American Valentines
by Luxio Nyx
Summary: Ever wonder how the states spend Valentine's Day? OC/OC, possibly later USUK
1. Chapter 1

Part I: Chocolate Valentines

William P. Jones (Pennsylvania) glared murderously at the stacks of paperwork that had been dumped unceremoniously onto his desk earlier that day. He huffed and turned back to the paper in front of him, stubbornly ignoring the calender that was perched precariously on the far edge of his desk. He didn't want to see what day it was...

_"Hershey's chocolate! Hershey's chocolate! Hershey's chocolate baaaarrrr~!"_

Pennsylvania yelped and jumped as the theme song for Hershey's Chocolate World started blaring from the cellphone in his pocket. He frowned and hastily yanked the phone out of his jeans, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses when he noticed that several stacks of paper had been knocked onto the floor by his sudden movements.

"Whoever the hell is calling had better have a damn good reading," William growled into the phone, not even bothering to look at the Caller I.D.

"Whoa, calm down, Penny. Is that any way to great your boyfriend on Valentine's Day?"

Pennsylvania sighed and ran a weary hand through his honey-blonde hair at the sound of New York's voice, an unwilling smile making its way to his lips.

"Hello, Albert," he greeted quietly, struggling to keep some annoyance in his tone as he addressed the New Yorker. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Aw, c'mon Penn," New York whined. "You can have more enthusiasm than _that_. Wanna try again?"

"Don't push it, Bertie," Pennsylvania shot back. "I've been stuck in this godforsaken office all day, and I don't really feel like being nice."

Albert laughed, his chuckles crackling cheerfully through the phone's speakers.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," he snickered. "By the way, I didn't know that you still had the Hershey's theme song for your ring tone."

"Hey, it's a good song- Wait, how the hell do you know what my ring tone is?"

There was another chuckle and a mumbled "Hang on a minute." Pennsylvania frowned and gingerly pushed away from his paper-laden desk, taking care not to knock over anymore stacks of paper. He started when something clicked against the glass of the window behind his desk and turned around, his blue eyes widening behind his glasses when he saw a mop of messy blonde hair standing below the window, a pair of black sunglasses glinting up at him in the cool February air.

New York grinned and waved up at Pennsylvania, his right hand hidden carefully behind his back.

"Hey, Penn!" he called cheerfully. "You wanna get down here? It's damn cold out!"

"What the hell are you doing here, Albert?" William called back, his mouth falling open in an undignified stare.

Albert Jones merely laughed and gestured for the Pennsylvanian to come down. "C'mon, I already cleared things up with your boss."

William blinked in amazement and hurried out of the office, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest. He wasn't even going to ask how Albert had managed to get his boss to agree to this...

Albert grinned when the Pennsylvanian appeared at the front door of his Harrisburg office building, his thin arms hastily shoved into the sleeves of a navy blue wool coat. William raised his eyebrows at the New Yorker, his lips quirking upwards when he saw the other state shiver beneath his black leather jacket.

"Maybe you should've dressed warmer," he pointed out wryly.

New York pouted and rolled his eyes, his hands clasped innocently behind his back.

"Doesn't matter, we won't be outside long," he chuckled. "Now hurry up! We've gotta get going before sunset..."

"Why? Did you get cursed by England when I wasn't looking?" Pennsylvania joked, his blue eyes flickering curiously over New York's shoulder.

New York laughed and shifted his arms behind his back, his expression slightly guilty. "Oh yeah, Artie totally put a spell on me. Now I can only remain human during the day."

"If this is you being human, I don't even want to know what you're like at night," William muttered.

Albert grinned and winked. "Oh, I think you already know, Will. Don't you remember New Year's Ev-"

"Okay, what the hell are you hiding behind your back?" William interrupted hastily, his cheeks flushing a light pink.

Albert pouted and started to back away, his eyes flickering backwards occasionally to check what direction he was heading. "Whoops, can't tell you until you get into the car, Penny~!"

Pennsylvania sighed exasperatedly and started after the New Yorker, a small smile still present on his pale features.

New York grinned and waited until his shoulders had pressed against the cool black surface of his BMW before carefully pulling a large, red, heart-shaped box of chocolates out from behind his back. He handed the box to the already-drooling Pennsylvanian, his electric-blue eyes glowing happily behind his sunglasses when the other state eagerly clasped the box against his chest. William blushed and glanced down at his feet, his brow furrowing.

"I... don't have my present for you," he admitted guiltily. "I left it at home..."

New York shrugged and gently pushed the other state into the car before crossing to the driver's side, his lips quirking upwards into a crooked smile.

"I don't need presents when I've got you, Penn," he remarked casually, ignoring the slight warming of his cheeks that came from the Pennsylvanian's intense gaze. "Alright, enough of the gooey speeches. Put on this blindfold."

William blinked and flushed as the small scrap of black silk was pressed into his hands, his eyebrows raised curiously.

"In the car?" he remarked. "You usually like to do this sort of thing in a more private setting... It's not really that far to my hous-"

"Uh, not yet, Penn," Albert interrupted with a laugh, causing the other state to go even redder. "Just trust me, okay? Now, put the blindfold on. And no peeking, got it?"

Pennsylvania muttered sullenly and removed his glasses before tying the blindfold behind his eyes, taking care to avoid the loose ponytail that hung at the nape of his neck. New York carefully extracted the glasses from William's grip and placed the frames in the nearest cup holder, a small chuckle breaking through his lips when he saw Pennsylvania's pout.

"What?" Albert laughed.

"...How am I supposed to eat this chocolate with a blindfold on?"

NYPA*NYPA*NYPA

"Bertie, I can't see anything."

"That's kind of the point, Will."

"...Where are we walking? I swear, if you lead me into a wall again-"

"Ok, that was one time! And no, I'm not going to lead you into a wall..."

Pennsylvania frowned, not quite able to let go of his fears. After all, this wouldn't be the first time that one of New York's 'brilliant' plans had ended badly for him... He still hadn't forgotten the time that the other state 'accidentally' pushed him into Lake Erie shortly after the Canal was built...*

Something flew past Pennsylvania's head, leaving the echoes of screams to rise in the air around him. William frowned and instinctively drew closer to the New Yorker that was leading through the unknown. He heard Albert chuckle and felt the other state squeeze his hand comfortingly. Pennsylvania rolled his eyes, his muscles tensing when the familiar smell of chocolate wafted towards him through the air.

Wait... It couldn't be...

"Ok, Penn, I'm going to need to lift you up here. Don't freak out, now."

Pennsylvania built back a yelp as his legs were literally pulled out from under him, his hands reaching out instinctively to press against New York's chest. Albert chuckled and held the other state close for a moment, his frame shaking slightly as he stepped onto an unsteady surface. William frowned when he was placed onto a hard, cold surface and reached out with his hands, his fingers pressing against low walls that barely reached his shoulders when he was sitting down.

"Albert?"

"Hang on, Penn," Albert murmured. "Just a few more minutes..."

William frowned and started to lean forward, only to jerk backwards as whatever he was sitting in began to rise. He clutched at the nearest wall and turned his head, his lips turning downwards into a pout when he realized that he couldn't see anything.

New York chuckled at his boyfriend's antics and reached out to hold the boy's hand, his eyes softening behind his sunglasses when he saw the other boy relax. After a few more minutes, the New Yorker reached out and carefully pulled the blindfold away from Pennsylvania's eyes, his other hand pressing William's glasses into his hands.

Pennsylvania murmured his thanks and placed the frames onto his face, his eyes widening as he took in his surroundings.

The two states were sitting in a small, circular white car attached to a moderately-sized Ferris Wheel. Rows of streetlamps spread out below them, outlining the twisted forms of roller coasters and spinning rides in deep blue against the darkening sky. A tower rose up to their right, its smooth surface broken by a rising disk with windows in the shape of Hershey Kisses built into its side. Pennsylvania glanced to his left and saw the carousel cradled among the other rides, its polished wood painted in hues of pink and red as the sun set below the horizon.

William stared at his surroundings for a long moment before turning back to Albert, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw two steaming cups of hot chocolate clutched carefully in the other state's hands.

"Wha- How did you get those in here?" he asked weakly.

New York shrugged and winked mischievously. "Magic."

Pennsylvania smiled shakily and turned back to the park, his brow furrowing when he noticed that the Ferris Wheel didn't seem to be moving. "Are we stopped?"

New York nodded casually, his bright blue eyes watching Pennsylvania carefully from behind his sunglasses. "Yeah. I asked the people in charge if they could give us a little bit of time up here. Hope you don't mind..."

Pennsylvania slowly shook his head and turned back to New York, his hands closing instinctively around the hot cup that the other state handed to him.

"W-where did you get this idea?" he asked quietly.

Albert shrugged nervously. "You've been working so hard lately, and stuff... And I know that you're still depressed over all of the stuff going on at Penn State**... I dunno, I guess I figured that you needed to have some fun..."

William nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Bertie?"

Albert raised his eyebrows and waited for the Pennsylvanian to continue.

Pennsylvania grinned suddenly, his deep blue eyes nearly golden in the light of the setting sun. "We're going to go to Chocolate World, right?"

New York laughed and leaned forward, his lips meeting Pennsylvania's half-way. The two states were silent for a moment before Albert broke away and pressed his forehead against William's, his face reddening as steam from their hot chocolate rose into the air around them.

"Only if we can go on Storm Runner, too," he whispered.

Pennsylvania smirked and moved back in for another kiss, his free hand reaching up to tangle itself in New York's carefully-touseled hair.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Albert," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, Penn."

**Hey all! So, I decided to do something a little special for Valentine's Day... These will probably be a collection of one-shots centering around the state couples (some of 'em you'll know, some you won't~!) I have no idea how many of them I'll write, but these will probably be what I'll be focusing on until after Valentine's Day is over (So, to everyone waiting on updates for Tides of Betrayal and Stolen Lullabies, you'll just have to wait a little bit longer... /shot/)**

**Please tell me what you think, ok? Let me know if there are any specific states that you want to see in here!**

***- So, the Canal that Pennsylvania is talking about is the Erie Canal. It was built in the early to mid-1800s and was a revolutionary improvement in travel before railroads were developed. The Canal linked Lake Erie to the Atlantic Ocean, which created this huge boost in shipping. Pennsylvania and New York obviously had to work together to bring the Canal about since it bordered both of them, but knowing New York he probably had a bit of a rivalry with dear Penny.**

****- So, I think most people in the United States have heard about the stuff going down at Penn State. Aside from the accusations of child-abuse that were aimed at former Assistant Coach Sandusky, the legendary head coach of Penn State, Joe Paterno, was fired by the School Board. Joe Pa died last month and is still mourned by many Penn State alumni. I have a feeling that Pennsylvania would have been extremely broken up about the entire thing.**

**Also, I have one last note here. If you've been reading any of my other stories, you'll know that lately I've been asking people to pray for the wife of my speech coach. She has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer and my speech coach will be leaving in March to take care of her. She means everything to him, and her illness has hit them both really hard. So, if you guys could please keep her in your thoughts/prayers, it would mean a lot to me. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

Part II: Patriot Hearts

February 5, 1790

_ "E-excuse me? Sammy?"_

_ Samantha Jones (Massachusetts) flushed at the sound of the small voice, her lips tightening when the politicians around her stopped speaking and stared at the young boy that had somehow appeared beside her chair, his grey-blue eyes peering up at the slightly-older girl through his messy pale-blonde hair._

_ "S-sammy?" Anthony Jones (Maine) stuttered again._

_ Massachusetts sighed and shot an apologetic look to her senators before turning to the boy, her brow furrowing into an exasperated half-glare when Maine grinned up at her toothily._

_ "Haven't you heard of knocking, Anny?" she hissed. "I'm in the middle of an important meeting."_

_ Anthony's face fell and he bit his lip, his wide blue-grey eyes lowering to focus on the scuffed surfaces of his shoes._

_ "S-sorry," he muttered. "B-but, I wanted to give you something..."_

_ Samantha sighed, trying to ignore the small pang of guilt that went through her at the sight of Anthony's devastated expression. After a moment, she reached out to gently ruffle his hair, her blush returning in full force as she felt the eyes of her politicians watching them intently. If John Adams said _anything_ about this..._

_ "I guess you can show it to me really quickly," she muttered._

_ Maine's features lit up into a grin and he darted out of the room, returning a few moments later with two grubby red roses clutched in his tiny hands. He shoved the flowers eagerly into Massachusetts' hands, his smile widening when she stared down at the slightly-crumpled petals._

_ "These are for you!" he declared cheerfully. "I heard Papa tell Albert that Mr. France said that you give flowers to people you love in February!"_

_ Samantha stared down at the flowers, wondering if she should be more worried by the fact that her little brother was listening to France's advice..._

_ "How... How did you even find these?" she asked quietly, trying to keep her voice neutral._

_ Anthony's smile faltered slightly at her tone, only to reappear moments later as he processed her question._

_ "Oh! I asked Miss Georgia to send them to me," he told her cheerfully. "You know, since it's always really hot down at her house. I had to give her lots of lobsters, but I didn't mind because I wanted to show you how much I love you." The boy paused suddenly, his expression falling when he saw the stunned expression on Massachusetts' face. "D-don't you like them?" he asked timidly, his bright eyes filling with tears._

_ Samantha shook herself and hastily pulled Anthony into a tight hug, taking care to keep the roses from harm's way. Maine wriggled happily out of her arms, his bright smile back in its usual place on his features. Massachusetts smiled at him in return before pushing the child back towards the door. Anthony pouted but contented himself with a quick kiss to Samantha's cheek, a small giggle breaking through his lips when she blushed a deep red._

_ "Will you come and see me later, Sammy?" he asked._

_ Massachusetts sighed and nodded, her lips quirking upwards into a small smile._

_ "Of course," she chuckled. "And thank you for the flowers, Anny. I love you."_

_ "I love you too, Sammy!"_

_ Samantha grinned as she watched the little boy dart out of the room, her smile quickly fading when she heard a few barely-concealed chuckles coming from the direction of her politicians. The state turned slowly and glared at the assembled men, her eyes narrowing dangerously when she saw John Adams's knowing smile._

_ "Not a word, Mr. Adams," she growled. "Now, if we could please get back to that piece of legislation you sent me..."_

MAME*MAME*MAME

February 5, 1863

_Massachusetts slammed her spell book closed with unexpected violence, her lips curling in disgust when the binding of the ancient book shook with the force of her latest blow. She turned away from the volume, resisting the urge to throw the damn book across the room._

_ "Curses," she spat. "This blasted book has nothing that will help us... That bastard England... he said that there were actually _useful_ spells in this one! Lying... Deceitful..."_

_ The state gave up and collapsed wearily onto the floor, her head buried in her arms as she struggled to regain composure. She needed to stay calm now... She needed to stay strong for the others. Now that Liz- Now that Virginia was gone, Massachusetts had become the oldest of the states, the one who took care of her siblings while their father was bedridden and nearly delusional from the effects of this damning war._

_ "I hate this," Sam (she had long ago forbidden the use of the name Samantha) Jones groaned into her arms, her shoulders trembling with the effort of keeping her emotions at bay. "I don't want this... I've never wanted this... Is it really so selfish of me to want to turn back time, to bring things back to the way that they were? Is it so selfish for me to want my family back together, even if it means that some of our people must remain in bondage?"_

_ "Massachusetts?"_

_ Massachusetts flew to her feet in a moment, her steely-blue eyes fixing immediately on the figure that stood in the doorway of her room, his silver-blonde hair mussed from yet another night of caring for America. His grey-blue eyes- once so bright and cheerful- dark with weariness and bitterness born of past disagreements- were watching her warily, his lips already curling into the sneer that usually accompanied their interactions._

_ Sam felt her chest ache at the sight of that sneer, her thoughts automatically flying- as they always did- to the times when there was no sneer on the younger state's expression, when Anthony would only stare up at her with awe and happiness, his plump features breaking out into a sunshine grin as he begged for her to play with him in the forest before her next meeting, the beautiful sounds of his laughter..._

_ "Is something wrong with Father?" Sam asked shortly, her eyes focused intently on the worn floorboards of the her room._

_ "No."_

_ "Do you need anything?" she tried again._

_ "I- No."_

_ Sam glanced up at him, her brow furrowing in exasperation. What could he possibly want, then?_

_ Anthony bit his lip and shifted uncomfortably, his stern expression cracking to reveal a hint of the vulnerability that he had hidden for so many years._

_ "I- I wanted to make sure that you were alright," he grumbled, furious at his admission of such a weakness. "You have been... quiet today."_

_ Sam snorted in an unladylike fashion and ran one of her hands through her blonde hair, her jaw clenching when her fingers caught on one of the numerous pins that had been jabbed into her scalp to keep her locks positioned at the top of her head._

_ "I did not realize that I was required to speak every hour or so in order to keep you all at ease," she snapped. "Forgive me for having so few things on my mind that give me pleasure."_

_ Anthony's eyes narrowed at her sharp tone, the muscles in his arms tightening. Sam noticed for the first time that his hands were hidden behind his wrinkled white shirt and waistcoat, her eyebrows rising in curiosity as she wondered what he was hiding._

_ "...I apologize for bringing up such a painful subject, then," Maine said at last._

_ Massachusetts bit back a sharp retort and nodded silently. Now was not the time for petty arguments... It had been so long since they had actually had a decent conversation._

_ "What did you really come here for, Anthony?" she asked quietly. "I highly doubt that concern for my person would be your only inducement to seek out my company when you usually avoid it so studiously."_

_ Maine stiffened at the use of his human name and sighed. Without a word, he pulled his hands from behind his back, revealing two pristine red roses tied neatly with a silky blue-and-white ribbon. Massachusetts felt the breath fly out of her and stared in shock at the other state, wondering if she was dreaming._

_ "I suppose that you forgot what day it was," Maine stated quietly._

_ Massachusetts shook her head, her teeth digging into her bottom lip as it began to tremble._

_ "No," she murmured. "I didn't forget."_

_ Anthony nodded and hesitated before crossing the room, his gloved hands hastily pressing the two flowers into her waiting hands._

_ "...Don't give up hope, Sammy," he whispered. "We need you, right now."_

_ "Do you?" Sam asked before she could stop herself, her eyes searching his pleadingly._

_ Maine stiffened and turned away, his hands clenching into fists by his sides. Within moments, he had left the room, his blonde head bent as the door shut quietly behind him. Massachusetts hurried after him, her hand hovering over the doorknob as an almost-silent whisper wafted towards her through the keyhole._

_ "...I always need you..."_

MAME*MAME*MAME

"WHAT KIND OF A HALF-ASSED PLAY WAS _THAT_?"

"YES! TAKE _THAT_ YOU DAMNED NEW ENGLANDER!"

Massachusetts snarled and lunged for New York, a howl of fury breaking through her lips when she was held back by Connecticut and Rhode Island.

"Wipe that smirk off of your face _right now_, you fucking bastard!" she screamed, her nails clawing against the surface of Rhode Island's brand-new jacket.

Adam Jones (Rhode Island) yelped in alarm and yanked his sleeve away, allowing Sam to break free of Aimee (Connecticut)'s grasp and tackle New York to the ground. Albert (New York) yelped and tried to push the other state off, his electric-blue eyes meeting Pennsylvania's gaze pleadingly. William (Pennsylvania) merely snorted and settled back onto one of America's numerous couches with Delaware and New Jersey, his eyebrows rising as the New York Giants gained possession of the ball.

"Hmm... It seems your team isn't doing that well, Sam," he observed calmly.

Sam screamed again and started pummeling Albert, while America groaned from the other side of the room.

"Aggh, dude, I can't take this kind of tension!" America whined. "_Artiieeee_!"

"Will you shut the bloody hell up, you wanker?" England snapped from his place next to a relatively-calm Virginia and Maryland. "Remind me why the hell I even agreed to watch this game with you?"

"Because you can't resist Dad's puppy-dog look," Alexa H. Jones (Ohio) broke in helpfully, pointedly ignoring the sullen look that Pennsylvania sent her way whenever she spoke up.

Connecticut shot a half-hearted glare at Ohio and moved to pull Massachusetts off of New York, only to be beaten to it by Maine.

Anthony laughed aloud when he saw the blood dripping from Albert's nose and gently pulled Sam out of the room, ignoring her whines of protest at missing part of the big game.

"C'mon, Sammy," he laughed. "I think you need to cool down for a little bit."

"No I don't!" she protested. "Those goddamn Patriots just need to start _playing_ better! I'm perfectly fine!"

"... You know, I think you might've broken Bertie's nose..."

"Serves him right," Sam mumbled sullenly.

Anthony laughed again and pressed his lips to Sam's forehead in a quick kiss, his smile widening when he saw the scarlet flush that spread across her skin at his touch.

"Still haven't gotten used to my kissing, huh?" he whispered. "I remember you even blushed when I kissed you as a little kid."

"I-I don't remember that!" Massachusetts protested.

"Mm, no, I remember it _very_ clearly," Maine chuckled. He paused for a moment and released Massachusetts to reach into the pocket of his jeans, his own cheeks tainted with a faint pink. "You wanna know what else I remember?"

Massachusetts opened her mouth to speak, the words dying in her throat when she saw the other state pull out a small black velvet box. Maine flashed her a quick, searching glance before he opened the box, revealing a bright red rose pendant attached to a delicate gold chain. Anthony gently lifted the necklace into his hands and reached around Sam's neck to fasten the chain around her neck, his steel-blue eyes softening when he saw the dazed expression in her eyes.

"Do you like it?" he asked quietly.

Massachusetts nodded numbly. "W-what happened to the flowers?" she asked, struggling to sound disappointed.

Maine shrugged and gave her a half-smile.

"I don't know... I figured the real roses were getting a little old-fashioned," he murmured. "Besides, they always died after a few days... I was kind of hoping that this would last a little longer."

Massachusetts smiled and allowed him to pull her into a tight embrace, her head tucked neatly into the crook of his neck.

"So, I suppose that bouquet of roses that I got earlier today was from another secret admirer?" she asked casually.

Anthony chuckled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Hmm... I suppose that _is_ a mystery..."

"Hey! Save the lovey-dovey stuff for the actual Valentine's Day, you morons!" New York called from the other room. "Ha! Guess who just got a touchdown, little miss _Patriot_?"

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU NEW YORK!"

Maine laughed and allowed Massachusetts to tackle New York again while he returned to his seat. After a moment, Rhode Island joined him, his eyebrows raised curiously.

"You know, you guys _are_ a little early for Valentine's Day," he pointed out.

Maine shrugged and relaxed into the plush material of the couch, his smile widening when Massachusetts began to jump up and down over the Patriot's latest touchdown.

"Guess we just run on a different schedule," he muttered.

**Hahaha! Oneshot number 2 is up! So... This might sound kind of sad, but I seriously did get this idea while waiting around for the Super Bowl to start. I usually don't pay that much attention to football (especially not since my Saints didn't get into the Bowl again this year...), but I just had to laugh at the idea of what New York and Massachusetts would be doing. Of course, since the game is still going on I have absolutely no idea who's going to win, but I'm kind of rooting for the Patriots right now (mostly because my mom and sister are cheering for the Giants~ I like going against them)**

**Anyways, please let me know what you think. I have no idea which pairing is coming up next, but at the moment I'm stuck between VermontxNewHampshire, VirginiaxMaryland, or Puerto RicoxWashington D.C. Let me know which ones you guys want!**

**And again, please keep my speech coach's wife in your thoughts/prayers, okay? It would really mean a lot to me. Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3

Part III: Maple Valentines

Vermont, 1994

Monty H. Jones (Vermont) bit his lip in concentration, the rough bark digging through the thin leather of his gloves as he slowly pulled himself up the towering maple tree. His bright pale blue eyes zeroed in on a particular spot notched into the trunk from years of similar adventures, his thin pink lips twitching into a determined grin as he reached a little higher, the tips of his fingers straining to brush against that little patch of bark-

"Monty?"

Vermont jumped- not the best idea when he was about twenty feet above the ground- and glanced down at the ground, his eyes narrowing as he tried to identify the mop of dirty blonde hair below him.

Andrew S. Jones (New Hampshire) stared back at the smaller state, a slight twitch of his eyebrows the only sign of concern on his normally-impassive face.

"What are you doing?" Andrew called up warily.

Monty sighed and shot one last glance at the notch before sliding down the trunk, earning a small wince from Andrew. New Hampshire flinched the moment Vermont's feet touched the ground, an almost-silent sigh of relief breaking through his lips when the short northern state skipped towards him, seemingly unharmed.

"...Please don't do that again," he grumbled.

Monty's eyes flashed as a small chuckle broke through his lips, his jawbone quivering with a rare stubbornness. "Oh? Why?" he asked cheerfully.

Andrew shrugged and looked away uneasily. "...It's dangerous."

"Is that so?" Vermont murmured airily. After a moment of silence, Monty sighed and pushed past Andrew.

New Hampshire winced and turned to watch the smaller teen disappear into the large lodge that was hidden within the forest, his lips tightening into a hard line that would have scared the shit out of most people.

"Dammit," he grumbled. "Messed up again..." How was it that he always managed to make Vermont angry? All he wanted to do was keep him safe... What was he doing wrong?

_I could ask someone I suppose... But who?_

No way in hell would he ask New York- that bastard was... Well, he was just an ass. Pennsylvania was always with the aforementioned asshole... Rhode Island and New Jersey tended to go a bit overboard with their matchmaking plans... Massachusetts was still sore from the Super Bowl and would probably murder anyone besides Connecticut and Maine who dared to approach her... Louisiana would more than likely rape both him _and_ Vermont before Andrew could even blink... And asking the Carolinas for advice usually ended with some sort of visit to prison.

_So who else is there?_

New Hampshire sighed and slowly pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, his navy-blue eyes narrowing as he went through the names in his contacts. He paused at one of the last entries and raised his eyebrows.

"...Well, she's sort of sane..."

VTNH*VTNH*VTNH

Monty slammed his head against his table, taking care not to upset the bottle of maple syrup that he had dug out of one of his cupboards several minutes ago.

"Shit," he sighed. "Why did I act like that?"

It was weird... He was usually so nice and polite to everyone. So why did he have to lash out at the one person that meant more to him to anyone else?

And why didn't he have the guts to actually _tell_ the other state how he felt?

Vermont had been asked several times if he and New Hampshire were a couple. He knew for a fact that Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey would probably die of shock if they knew that neither of the New England states had even said the words "I love you" aloud... They'd never even kissed.

"'Course, Andrew probably doesn't even _want_ to kiss me... Not after how awful I've been..."

Monty groaned and forced his face to break contact with the scrubbed wooden surface of his kitchen table, his brow furrowing when he realized that he was still alone in the house. How long had he been in here? Was Andrew still outside? Vermont glanced out of the window, his frown deepening when he saw how dark it had gotten.

"...I'd better go and make sure that he's okay," he told himself quietly. "Even if he doesn't want to see me right now... I just need to make sure that he's alright."

VTNH*VTNH*VTNH

"Who the hell is calling me right n-"

"Lizzy."

"... Andrew?"

New Hampshire nodded curtly, forgetting for the moment that Virginia couldn't see him. "Yeah. I need your help."

"Is everything okay?" Lizabeth Jones (Virginia) demanded, her voice immediately alert.

"Yeah... I- uh, I need some advice... On Monty..."

There was a long pause before Virginia spoke again, her tone confused. "And... Wait, why the hell did you call _me_?"

"I can't stand New York... And everyone else scares me," Andrew muttered, his cheeks flaring a bright red.

Silence.

"...You still there?"

"Uh, yeah," Lizzie muttered slowly. "I just... I don't know what you think I can do for you. I thought you and Monty were doing pretty good."

Andrew frowned. "What do you mean?"

He heard a rustling sound on the other end of the phone and wondered vaguely if he had woken Virginia up.

"I dunno," the other state muttered. "You two never really struck me as the type to have a lover's spat, you know? You're always so cute and calm and stuff..."

"I- but- we're not a couple. Where did you get that idea?"

"You're _not_? Oh shit, you'd better not tell Rhode Island or New York. They've been using you guys as the model for the perfect couple for over a century."

"W-why?" New Hampshire winced at his stuttering and glared up at the tree that Vermont had been climbing. Dammit, why did Monty always make him so weak... and why did he actually like it? "We're not a couple..."

"Then you guys must be damn good actors, because it always looked like you were in love," Lizzie muttered. "...and you do love him, don't you?"

Andrew froze, his eyes widening. "H-how did you-?"

"I've been there," Virginia interrupted impatiently. "Done that. You sound exactly like me when I... when I used to think about Jed."

"What should I do, then?"

"Not my call, Andrew," Lizzie sighed. "That's up to you. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what to do."

New Hampshire sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his blue eyes still locked on the upper boughs of Vermont's tree. "Okay."

"And... if you ever need, you can call me anytime," Virginia muttered awkwardly. "Thanks for... you know, calling me about this..."

Andrew chuckled quietly. "Thanks for listening, big sis. Sorry for waking you up."

"Uh... Yeah. I wasn't actually sleeping..."

"But, aren't you in bed-"

New Hampshire blinked in surprise when a quiet voice joined Virginia's on the other side of the phone line, asking her if she was done yet.

"U-uh, yeah. Hold on a sec Jed..."

"I-I'm going to go now," Andrew mumbled. "Talk to you later, Lizzie."

Andrew hastily ended the call before anything else could happen and walked up to Monty's tree. It was strange, really. From this angle, it almost looked like there was something written up there...

VTNH*VTNH*VTNH

Vermont shivered beneath the thick layers of his coat, his thin brows furrowing in confusion as he searched for New Hampshire. Where was he? He couldn't have gotten that far, could he? Unless... Had he left?

Monty's breathing sped up at the thought, his feet unconsciously carrying him more quickly through the thick, snowbound trees. No, Andrew wouldn't leave, right? H-he wouldn't... Not after such a silly argument...

A low grunt sounded from up above, causing Vermont to skid to a halt. Monty frowned and stared up at the trees, his mouth falling open when he saw Andrew awkwardly clutching the branches of a large tree, his eyes narrowed as he stared at something in the bark.

"A-andrew?"

New Hampshire yelped and stared down at Vermont, his fingers tightening reflexively around the branches.

"Don't scare me," he grumbled.

A startled laugh broke through Vermont's lips and he shook his head. "W-what happened to the 'it's dangerous' part of climbing trees?"

New Hampshire clenched his teeth and glanced back at the bark, his expression softening.

"...had to see something."

"Wha-" Monty's voice died in his throat, the blood draining from his face when he realized what Andrew was looking at. "O-oh my God..."

Andrew frowned at Monty's words and glanced down, his fingers loosening their grip. "Monty? You oka-"

CRASH

Vermont screamed and rushed forwards as New Hampshire fell, his knees crashing into the ground at the same moment that Andrew's body made contact with it.

"A-andrew!" he gasped. "Andrew! Oh my God, are you okay? Are you- Please, can you talk? Y-you'd better be okay, damn you!"

New Hampshire groaned and turned his head to the side, the corners of his lips quirking upwards into a pained smile.

"...'m okay," he croaked, his eyes tightening as he tried to sit up. A low yell broke through his lips at the moment and he glanced down at his leg in disgust. "D-damn..."

Vermont choked back a sound, not even caring if it was a laugh or a sob.

"Y-you idiot," he gasped. "You could've been k-killed! S-stupid!"

Andrew glanced up at him apologetically, his blue eyes soft.

"Sorry," he muttered. After a moment, he added "I saw it."

Monty winced and forced himself to help the taller state to his feet, his lips trembling with every low groan that broke through Andrew's lips.

"J-just put all of your weight onto your unbroken leg, o-okay?" he stuttered. "I-it's not that far to the car... Oh God, I hope they cleared the roads..."

"Monty."

Vermont shot a quick glance at New Hampshire, his cheeks reddening at the intense look on the other state's face.

"Did you mean it?" Andrew asked quietly. "What you put up there?"

Monty shuddered and glanced back at the tree, back at the message that had been carved into its bark for centuries.

VTxNH

"...Yes."

Andrew smiled and bent his head, his lips brushing against Monty's forehead in the lightest of kisses.

"I love you," he muttered.

Vermont stumbled to a halt and stared at the New England state.

"Y-you-"

New Hampshire nodded and smiled, his eyes tightening as another flash of pain ran up his leg.

"...Hospital?"

"O-oh, r-right!" Vermont blushed a furious red and hurried towards his garage, a small sigh of relief breaking through his lips when they reached his car. After helping Andrew into the passenger seat, Monty scrambled into the driver's seat, his eyes flickering towards Andrew as he did so.

"Hey, Andrew?"

New Hampshire turned to Vermont with raised eyebrows, a small sound of surprise breaking through his lips when the smaller state pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss.

"Remind me to show you the right way to climb trees when you get better," Monty whispered.

**So, I don't know if you guys know this, but being in the school play totally takes away all of your free time, haha. Luckily (unfortunately) tonight is the last performance, so I'll have a little more time to write. Wish us luck!**

**Thanks to the people who reviewed/favorited this story! And, in case you were wondering, my speech coach's wife is starting to do better, and I think has had some successful treatments. Thanks again for all of your prayers!**

**Please let me know what you think about these oneshots, mkay? Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Part IV: Caribbean Valentines

_"Q-que es esto?"_

_ Alyssa F. Jones (Washington D.C.) smiled at the little boy in front of her, her small white hands still clasped tightly around his darker ones to make sure that he didn't drop the small box._

_ "It's a valentine, silly," she told him cheerfully. "I give 'em to all of the states!"_

_ Felipe Carriedo-Jones (Puerto Rico) stared at Alyssa, his brow furrowing in confusion beneath his curly dark hair. He cocked his head to the side and bit his lip, still trying to process her words._

_ "P-pero... b-but... I'm not a state," he muttered in halting english. "S-solo... I-I'm just... me?"_

_ Alyssa smiled sadly at the state and squeezed his hand, her blue eyes misting over behind her glasses as she remembered the other territories that had been her friends over the years, only to leave her behind once they became a state._

_ "That's why yours is more special than the others," she told him cheerfully. "Because you're like me. A-and we need to stay together, you know?"_

_ Puerto Rico nodded slowly and looked back down at the box, his thin fingers playing with the edge of the lid._

_ "C-can I open it?" he asked shyly, his tanned face reddening with the faintest of blushes._

_ Washington D.C. nodded fervently, her golden blonde hair bobbing in time with her head. She held her breath as the younger child slowly opened the box, a small giggle breaking through her lips when he slowly pulled out a tiny glass heart painted with the colors of her father's flag. Puerto Rico looked up at her with a nervous smile, his brilliant green eyes shining._

_ "Que bonito... It's so pretty," he murmured. After a moment, he added "What do I do with it?"_

_ Alyssa shrugged. "Whatever you want. I think Florida and Mississippi wore theirs as necklaces when they first became territories."_

_ Felipe cocked his head to the side, his eyes widening in excitement. "They are states now, si?"_

_ Alyssa nodded slowly, her heart sinking as his excitement grew._

_ "S-so, I can become a state someday, too?" he gasped._

_ Washington D.C. nodded again, her bright blue eyes darting down to stare at the dusty hem of her skirt as the new territory beamed happily. It was starting already... Soon, he'd leave her behind... Just like everyone else did._

_ "You're a state too, si?" Felipe asked happily, his pearly teeth flashing in the bright sunlight as he turned to his new friend._

_ Alyssa shook her head, her eyes still trained on the ground. "No... I'm not allowed to since I'm the capital... I'll always be what I am now."_

_ Puerto Rico frowned, his smile fading just as quickly as it had appeared. Without another word, the boy threw his arms around Washington D.C.'s thin shoulders and pulled her into a tight hug, earning a small yelp of surprise from the older girl._

_ "If you won't be a state, then I won't be one either!" he declared impulsively._

_ Alyssa laughed and shook her head, her skin brushing against the warm fabric of Felipe's shirt._

_ "T-that's what they all say," she muttered. "It's okay, though... I'm used to it. Besides, you deserve to become a state someday if you really want to."_

_ Felipe pouted and tightened his grip on the other girl. "But I don't want to be one now! Then mi amiga would be all alone. It's not fun to be alone, you know? Papa Espa__ñ__a always got really sad when he was alone, and then he'd eat lots of tomatoes and drink a lot of wine, and I don't think that's really good for you so I don't think that you should drink wine, although people in America drink this yellow stuff called whiskey instead so I guess you wouldn't have a problem with that, but still-"_

_ Alyssa laughed and leaned forward to gently kiss the younger boy on the cheek. Felipe stopped talking immediately, his cheeks darkening into a spectacular tomato-red._

_ "R-really, I'm fine," Washington D.C. muttered. "I'll be okay... uh, but, if you could maybe do one thing for me?"_

_ "Si?" Puerto Rico asked eagerly, his expression hopeful._

_ "No matter what happens... Can you promise to always be my valentine?"_

PRDC*PRDC*PRDC

"_Hola,_ Alyssa!"

Washington D.C. jumped and slammed her head against the bottom of her desk, a low groan of pain breaking through her lips. She glared beneath the metal desk at the bouncing pair of feet that had bounded into her small office, the pink plastic straps of flip flops nearly shining against the person's tanned skin.

"Dammit, Fel," she hissed. "_Please_ don't do that when I'm under my desk or near anything that I could hit my head on!"

Puerto Rico giggled and waited patiently for the District of Columbia to move out from under her desk, his lips curving into a small smirk when he saw the papers clutched in the supposedly-thirteen-year-old's hand.

"You went under there just to get those?" he teased. "_Por qu__é__?_ (_Why_?) There are plenty of others just like it on top of your desk!"

Alyssa sent Felipe a glare that should have set him on fire and bent to return the crumpled papers to their places in the stacks that lined her desk. She frowned as strands of her short blonde hair fell into her face and attempted to blow them out of the way, her cheeks reddening when olive-toned fingers gently tucked the offending strands behind her exposed ear.

"Thanks," she muttered. "Though I'm still pissed at you for sneaking up on me like that..."

Felipe beamed and pressed a quick kiss to Alyssa's cheek, his smile widening when he saw her blush deepen.

"Oh, don't be mad, _mi querida_," he chirped. "I'm just so happy~! Papa called me earlier and said that he's bringing his _novio_ (_boyfriend_) over to my place for Valentine's Day dinner this weekend, and I can't wait because Papa always brings the most _wonderful_ tomatoes and some wine, although I can't drink the wine anymore and I don't think Papa drinks as much either because he's not sad or lonely and _Se__ñ__or_ Romano- that's Papa's _novio_, you know!- gets really angry when Papa drinks to much with his _amigos_ France and Prussia because apparently they get into lots of trouble and did you know that you can get arrested for stealing cars? Because Papa-"

"Please slow down, Fel," Alyssa groaned, her head already throbbing with the beginnings of a headache. She smiled slightly when the territory pouted and patted the top of his curly brown hair. "Okay, now would you please tell me why you're here?"

Puerto Rico grinned again and nodded happily, reminding Alyssa ridiculously of a hyper puppy dog.

"Oh! Papa wanted me to show him _mi novia_ (_my girlfriend_) since I've been talking about you so much in my letters and emails, so I came over here to get you!"

Washinton D.C. blinked in surprise and stared down at her slightly-wrinkled pencil skirt and blouse. "Uh... When are we supposed to leave?"

"Hm? I think in about three hours... maybe two... Hey Alyssa, why are you getting really red like that? Did you eat something spicy?"

Alyssa took a deep breath, struggling to restrain the irritation that was rising up inside of her like a volcano. _Don't yell, don't yell... He's just trying to be nice... Don't yell... The president will kick you out again... Don't yell..._

"So, when exactly were you going to tell me about this trip, Fel?" she asked slowly.

"Huh? But I just told you, silly!" Felipe chuckled. "Now c'mon, we've gotta go! Don't worry about your stuff, I had the Carolinas go to your place and pack some of your things."

"Y-you... did... what?" _Don't yell... Don't yell..._

"_Si!_ They said it wouldn't be a problem because they're used to doing stuff like that, whatever that means. Anyways, I called your boss, too, and he said that it's okay! Um... I think he said that... Hey Alyssa, does your boss usually yell really loudly when he's giving you permission to do something?"

_Don't yell... Don't yell... Oh, screw it, I'm going to fucking kill him..._

"Fel..." Alyssa growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously behind her glasses. "You have about ten seconds to get out of here before I fucking _throttle_ you."

Felipe giggled and gently swung the smaller girl over his shoulder, ignoring her spluttered protests and death threats.

"You're so silly, _mi querida_," he laughed. "Now c'mon, we need to get on the plane, _si_?"

"_Felipe if you don't put me down right now I'm going to kill you!_"

Puerto Rico laughed again and jogged out of the office building, cheerfully ignoring the odd looks and occasional yells that he was earning from the other occupants. Washington D.C.'s cheeks flared a bright red and she buried her face in her Puerto Rico's shoulder, her lips curling as she continued to snarl occasional death threats to the younger boy.

After several moments of hanging awkwardly over the Puerto Rican's shoulder on the sidewalk, Alyssa was dumped unceremoniously into the back of a small black car. She huffed in annoyance and straightened up in her seat moments before Felipe joined her, a ridiculous smile present on his face.

"So... Is my stuff at the airport already or what?" Washington D.C. grumbled.

"Eh? Oh! No, it's in the back of the taxi, right Lenny?"

Alyssa jumped as North Carolina's face grinned at her from the front seat, his fiery red hair falling carelessly into his mischievous blue-green eyes.

"Yep," Lenny (North Carolina) declared cheerfully. "By the way, nice job carrying Lyssa out, Fel."

"Yeah," Charlie (South Carolina) added from the driver's seat. "We got some _awesome_ pictures... I can't wait to see what they think about this on Facebook."

Alyssa groaned and slammed her forehead against the window of the car as it pulled away from the curb.

"I hate you three," she moaned. "I swear, one of these days, I'm going to freaking _murder_ you in your sleep..."

The Carolinas simply laughed while Puerto Rico looked confused.

"_Pero_ (_But_)... If you were going to murder me while I slept, why didn't you do it last weekend, _mi querida_?" he asked. "You were with me every night, so it would have been easier then, _si_?"

Alyssa's cheeks flared a bright red as the Carolinas laughed again. "S-shut up Fel!"

"Ooo, looks like we should've tried to get pictures earlier," South Carolina mused. "So, is she good in bed, Fel?"

"Oh, _si_," Felipe declared cheerfully. "She's really nice and she doesn't yell at all unless she has nightmares. Sometimes we even cuddle~!"

"I said shut up!" Alyssa groaned. "And stop laughing! It's not like that, you perverts!"

"S-sure it's not, Lys," Lenny laughed. "Man, I can't _wait_ to tell Dad about this one."

Washington D.C. glared at the twins again before settling into a sulky silence in the back seat, her blue eyes flashing dangerously whenever Puerto Rico attempted to draw her into another conversation. After several uncomfortable minutes of sulking and not-so-funny jokes, the Carolinas pulled up at the entrance to the airport and cheerfully kicked the two younger teens out of the car with their luggage before driving off. Alyssa glared after the car until Felipe happily dragged her into the busy terminal, her brows furrowing into a scowl as they came to a stop in the line for baggage. Puerto Rico pouted at her lack of conversation and playfully swatted at a few loose strands of her golden hair, earning himself a furious scowl.

"Aw... are you mad at me, _querida_?" he asked, his green eyes widening with the realization.

"What was your first clue?" Alyssa muttered. She winced and looked away when Felipe's lip started to tremble, not really in the mood to see his dejected expression.

"_Por qu__é_ (_Why_)?" Felipe whined.

Alyssa's eye twitched in annoyance. "Gee, I don't know, maybe because you dragged me away from work, got my boss pissed at me, and randomly decided to take me on this _lovely_ trip without any notice at all!"

Puerto Rico flinched at her tone and stared down at her, his emerald eyes wide and glistening with tears.

"B-but... I wasn't supposed to give you any notice," he mumbled. "This was a surprise, _si_?"

Alyssa sighed and wearily ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, Fel, it was a surprise."

"S-so... You don't like it?"

Washington D.C. frowned. "Like what?'

"Your Valentine's Day present..."

Washinton D.C. blinked and stared at Puerto Rico in surprise. "Wait... That's what this is for?"

Felipe sent her an almost-exasperated look and nodded. "_Si_... I told you, that's why Papa is coming over. I thought that you'd like to spend Valentine's Day with us since you said that you don't like the cold and I really wanted you to meet Papa, and I'm really sorry that I made you mad, _querida_, but I didn't know that I would be causing you any trouble or else I would have planned better I guess and-"

"Fel, Fel, it's okay," Alyssa interrupted hastily. "I get it... And I'm sorry for being so irritable, alright? I really don't mind going to your place to see Mr. Spain... Although if you _ever_ do this again, I will murder you and I'm going to have to murder those damn Carolinas anyways before they put those pictures on Facebook..."

Puerto Rico beamed and pulled Washington D.C. into a tight hug. "Oh! I'm so happy again~! _Gracias _(_Thank you_), Alyssa! _Te amo_!"

Alyssa blushed and glared at the people that were now staring at them, her lips quirking upwards into a reluctant grin. "Y-yeah... Love you too, Fel."

Felipe grinned and reluctantly released the girl, his hand disappearing into his pocket for a moment as he drew out a small glass frog attached to a thin gold chain.

"Before I forget... this is for you, Alyssa," he murmured, his expression unusually-serious.

Alyssa gaped as he gently clasped the necklace around her neck, her blush deepening into a spectacular tomato-red.

"W-what is it?" she asked quietly.

"It's a _coqi_," Puerto Rico announced happily. "They're these little frogs that are all over my home, and they're really loud sometimes but I like them, so... I thought I'd give this to you since you gave me that nice heart!"

Washington D.C. glanced at the necklace that was always present around Puerto Rico's neck. "B-but... That was years ago..."

"But I still wear it, _si_?" Felipe pointed out happily. "Now you can always wear something, too! So we can always be valentines."

Alyssa smiled and nodded slowly. "Yeah..."

Puerto Rico smiled fondly and ruffled Washington D.C.'s hair, his expression brightening when the line moved.

"Oh! I'm so excited~! Do you think they'll give us those packs of peanuts, _querida_? I hope so... I love peanuts! And chocolate, too, but Pennsylvania yelled at me the last time I had chocolate because apparently I'm not supposed to eat it when he puts it in that safe with the big lock on it. Did you know that it's really easy to break into Pennsylvania's safe, Alyssa? It is! I can show you sometime! Except, maybe not his chocolate safe because then he get _really_ scary..."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and fought the urge to groan.

This was going to be a _ long_ plane ride...

**Hey! So... Yeah, I didn't think that the school play would take up so much time... But, it's over now so I actually have free time to write! Sorry for the delay (and the fact that Valentine's Day is over.../shot/). I think I'll put up three more on this: USUK, then MarylandxVirginia, and GeorgiaxFlorida last, with maybe a little TexasxLouisiana (that might end up being a fourth... we'll see, eh?)**

**Anyways, hope everyone had an awesome Valentine's Day! Please let me know what you think, and please continue to pray/think for my speech coach's wife. Thank you!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So... Ahem... Yeah... I've kind of been neglecting this story, haven't I? /shot/ -.- Um, I am sooo sorry about that. I swear, I'll try harder to keep this up, and I'll probably add more one shots than I originally planned to, hopefully you guys don't mind! And since Valentine's day is kind of wayyy over... Well, the one shots won't be all about Valentine's day anymore, but there will still be fluff!**

**Anyways, to apologize for my neglect of this story, I've decided to add another NY/PA about how they got together in the first place!**

Part V: Hearts Born of War

_June 29, 1863_

William P. Jones (Pennsylvania) glared murderously at the panes of glass that separated him from the outside world, looking for all the world as if the window was the reason for his family's suffering.

"Penn, for God's sake, stop looking at the window like that."

Pennsylvania glanced over his shoulder towards the new voice, his blue eyes narrowing dangerously behind his wire-rimmed glasses when he caught sight of the blond that was leaning casually against his bedroom door, his bright cerulean eyes distantly amused as they watched the Pennsylvanian.

"What do you want, Albert?" William asked coolly, unable to ignore the small shiver that went down his spine as the New Yorker continued to watch him with those distant, icy blue eyes.

Albert D. Jones simply raised his eyebrows at the other state's tone and shrugged, the carefully-pressed white fabric of his shirt crinkling slightly beneath his blue waistcoat. William couldn't help but notice the shadows underneath the other man's eyes, the lines of strain that stood out against his youthful features, the way his golden blond hair was rumpled from the many times that he had run a hand through his hair. The Pennsylvanian swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry, and turned back to the window, his slim arms crossed defiantly in front of his chest.

New York chuckled despite himself as he watched the other state, pointedly ignoring the way his gaze continued to slip towards the dark pants that were fitted perfectly to the Pennsylvanian's legs, accentuating his slim hips. He winced and forced his eyes up to the back of William's head, only to fight back another wave of warmth at the sight of the honey-gold locks that spilled messily onto the other state's shoulders, the black ribbon that usually held them in place abandoned on the cushion of Pennsylvania's favorite armchair next to a tattered copy of _Poor Richard's Almanac_*.

"Are you going to glare at inanimate objects all day?" the New Yorker asked dryly, dimly pleased that his voice didn't shake.

William made no reply, his shoulders tensing at the sound of New York's voice.

"If that's the case, might I recommend glaring at the dinner table next?" Albert suggested airily. "Or perhaps the stairs? They have been quite awful lately, always creaking whenever I try to slip out of this place for a drink."

William felt the corners of his lips quirk upwards into an unwilling smile even as a furious blush flared across his ivory skin.

"... Why won't they let me leave?" he asked quietly.

New York stiffened and shot the other state a wary glance, unease rising in his chest. "What do you mean?"

"The other states, Dad, Dad's boss... Why won't they let me leave here?"

"Penn..." New York paused, his eyes dropping down to his feet when Pennsylvania looked at him. "You... You don't have to fight-"

"Why?" The Pennsylvanian demanded sharply, his voice steadily rising into a shout as he continued. "You've fought. Anthony, Andrew, Monty, Adam... They've all seen action on the front lines. Jed is still recovering from his last battle, and Kenny fights nearly everyday to keep Tevon out of his lands. Why can't I fight as well? Why can't I protect my people? Why do you all insist on treating me like a useless _woman_?"

"Do you even hear yourself?" New York shot back furiously. "You've never been in a war, Penn, you never wanted to fight before! What, do you _want_ to be shot at by our siblings? Do you think it's easy watching your men fall around you, watching them die, knowing that you could be the next to join them?"

"I know!" William snarled. "I _know_ what war is like, damn you! I'm not a child, I have seen battles before, I have _seen_ rebellion*. I know how it feels to have the people I love try to kill me, Albert, I know that I could die, that I will see others fall around me and I won't be able to save them. _I understand what war is like_."

"Do you?" New York asked quietly, his voice unusually-grim. "...Have you ever killed anyone, William?"

The Pennsylvanian balked at the question, the blood draining from his features. "I-"

"I don't think you have," Albert continued, his blue eyes as hard and cold as sapphires. "In fact, I've never even seen you take part in a fight. You have seen them, yes, but have you ever _fought_?"

"I have-"

"Because, if memory serves, you have always passed your battles hiding behind _me_-"

"_Stop_!"

New York's voice died in his throat, his eyes widening as the Pennsylvanian turned around to face him, his thin face flushed and contorted with fury.

"You- you _dare_ to treat me like a coward?" he hissed. "You dare to speak to me as if I were some child that cannot stand on its own? _Who do you think you are, New York_?"

Albert flinched as if he had been slapped, his eyes wide and filled with an unexplainable pain. William never called him New York... They were closer than that...

"I- Penn-"

"Don't talk to me," Pennsylvania snapped. "Get out of my room."

New York sighed and did as the other state had commanded, his hands clenching into fists at his sides when the door slammed shut behind him with enough force to shake the sturdy walls of their current home.

Maine and New Jersey glanced up at him with weary irritation as he entered the drawing room, the table in front of them covered in scattered maps and charts. Several feet away, Delaware was conversing quietly with Connecticut, Ohio, and Indiana, while Michigan sat quietly beside the four women, his large hand folded gently around Ohio's fingers.

"I take it things didn't go well?" Angel (New Jersey) guessed flatly, his young features pale and strained from many sleepless nights. New York shook his head, unable to ignore the pain that went through him at the sight of the young state, who by all rights should not have looked older than fourteen.

"Penn... Is not pleased with the President's decision," Albert admitted quietly. "He feels that he should be able to fight with his people to protect his land, like Jed."

New Jersey winced at the mention of Maryland, his light blue eyes flickering unwillingly to a far corner of the room. New York followed his gaze, his brow furrowing when he caught sight of the small, red-haired girl that was curled beneath a heavy blanket on Washington D.C.'s lap, her tiny shoulders shuddering every few seconds as the capital city ran gentle hands through her tangled hair.

As if sensing his gaze, a pair of bleary green eyes wrenched open and stared at him from beneath tendrils of flaming hair, a few stray tears already streaming across her blotchy cheeks. Ginny V. Jones (West Virginia) offered the older state a trembling smile, even as another shudder went through her. New York forced himself to smile back, his hands clenching into fists at his sides as another red-haired girl flashed across his vision, her emerald eyes hardening as she declared that she was leaving them, leaving the Union.

"I-Is my b-b-big brother better y-yet?" West Virginia asked timidly.

"A little," Angel broke in before Albert could say anything. "He'll be able to see you again soon, Ginny."

The little girl nodded and settled back into Alyssa (Washington D.C.)'s lap, her eyes slipping closed as she fell back into a fitful sleep. New Jersey stood silently and motioned for New York to follow him, his feet tapping soundlessly against the carpeted wooden floor as he walked out into the hall.

"...I don't understand how you can be around her so much," Albert whispered when they had left the room. "She looks so much like..." He stopped, unable to say Virginia's name, especially with a still-recovering Maryland upstairs.

New Jersey shrugged tiredly. "They are alike but... Ginny is our sister as well, and she's hurting. I don't want to make things worse than they already are for the child."

"And Jed?"

Angel shook his head slowly. "I... have no idea how he does it." There was silence for a moment, then: "You argued with my brother again."

"Yes."

"I wish you both would stop," New Jersey sighed. "There's enough arguing in the world right now."

"It's not my-"

"Both of you are at fault!" Angel snapped. "...When are you going to tell him the real reason why the President won't let him fight?"

"He would hate me even more than he does now if he knew," Albert grumbled. "Penn... He wouldn't take kindly to the knowledge that I told the President to keep him away from battle."

"Perhaps if you explained why-"

"I don't need to explain myself," New York growled. He took a deep breath and turned away, his fingers running agitatedly through his hair. "I'm- I'm going to check on Jed."

New Jersey watched the other state go, his brow furrowed reproachfully.

"...You're being an idiot."

NYPA*NYPA*NYPA

Pennsylvania held his breath as he gently edged the window open, his eyes narrowing as they took in the distance between his window and the ground. It wasn't a dangerous fall, not for him, but... He couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't make any noise when he jumped. He couldn't risk having anyone hear him...

The Pennsylvanian gently eased his pack out of the window first, a low sigh of relief rushing out of him when the bundle flopped noiselessly onto the emerald grass below the window. After a few moments, he crawled up onto the ledge, Maryland's rifle strapped securely to his back with a leather strap. It wasn't like Jed would be needing the weapon for a while...

Air whistled past his ears as he fell, his hair rising from his neck to fan out behind him in a curtain of beaten gold. He flinched when his booted feet landed with a muted thump on the ground, his eyes flickering anxiously towards the darkened windows of the house that most of his family had moved into shortly after the war started. For a moment, he allowed his mind to flicker to the siblings that he hadn't seen in a while, to Kentucky and Missouri at the border, to the California, Kansas, Nebraska, and the territories that were unable to leave their western lands, to the states and territories that had left to form their own family, to the New York that used to smile and ruffle his hair and mock him when he blushed at the contact...

William flinched and turned away from the house, furious at himself for allowing his mind to slip. He couldn't think about Albert now... He needed to focus on his people.

As Pennsylvania turned and hurried towards the stables, he wondered if Maryland would understand his decision. Jed had endured more battles and destruction on his lands than most of his fellow states, and had been the first to fire back at his rebellious family members. William wondered if the other man had felt what he had as the Confederates swarmed into his land, that feeling that he was being cut off from the others, that something was tugging at his gut, pulling him away and burning him...

He took the horse that he had used to ride to Albert's home months before, his slim fingers closing calmly around the reins as he maneuvered the mount out of the stables and into the darkened streets. It would take him awhile to reach General Meade and the Army of the Potomac, not that he minded. He needed some time alone, time to collect his thoughts and steel his nerves.

Time to forget the argument that he had had only hours ago with the one man that meant more to him than any other.

_You have always passed your battles hiding behind me..._

"Not this time."

NYPA*NYPA*NYPA

Fire, flames and explosions that rattled the earth and sent Pennsylvania reeling as he dove for cover.

Smoke, darkness that spread across the sky like a foul-smelling cloak and blocked out the sun.

Blood, blood everywhere... On the bodies that were lying on the ground motionless, on the clothes and weapons of men that were still able to move and stab at each other with barely-gleaming bayonets... On William, on his navy blue uniform, on his pale skin, on his glasses, in his hair...

Groans and screams of dying men that couldn't accept death, the shrieks of bullets that flew through the air looking for their next victim.

A terrible silence that fell across small scraps of ground as bodies finally stopped moving and breathed their last, a silence that slipped away as the next shell exploded and the next gun fired and the next man screamed.

Pennsylvania rolled out from behind his cover as the shielding rock was smashed by a shell, his rifle pressed against his shaking shoulder as he aimed and shot at a flash of grey. Someone screamed and cursed but he made no answer, his pounding heart already spurring him onward as he scrambled across the top of Devil's Den, aiming, firing, and lashing out at any enemy that came to close. He could almost hear cries of protest inside of his mind, shouts from the peaceful men that had founded him centuries ago and taught him that war was wrong...

A spray of blood flew into his face as the face of the man beside him was blown off by an exploding shell. Sour bile rose in William's throat but he pushed it away, his grip tightening around the rifle in his hands as he forced himself to move onward, his eyes skipping over any crumpled form that came into his line of sight.

_Don't look at them... Don't look at them... You can't help them... You can't help them... Be brave, be strong..._

_ Be like Albert._

A shell exploded barely ten feet away from him, the force of the blast sending Pennsylvania sprawling onto the ground. He lost his grip on the gun, his dazed blue eyes watching as the weapon slammed into the ground next to him, its surface stained with blood and dirt. Adrenaline thrummed through William's system, the furious pounding of his heart mixing with the ache of a million scrapes and bruises, with the awful, scorching fire of the battle that raged on his land. He felt the pain of those that fell all around him, felt the fire that flared across the earth with every explosion, every gunshot. Blood was seeping from his side, from Gettysburg, mixing with the scarlet liquid that was leaking from the newly-made wounds on his back, the gashes made by flying shrapnel.

Pennsylvania shuddered as another wave of pain went through him and struggled to his knees, his bloodied hand reaching for the gun...

A worn leather boot slammed down on the weapon moments before William's fingertips could brush against it. William's eyes narrowed as he glanced up at his newest enemy, only to widen moments later when he met two sets of grim green-blue eyes half-hidden by matted red hair only a few shades lighter than blood. Their grey uniforms were torn and bloodied, their caps abandoned long ago in the heat of battle. Both of their rifles were aimed at the fallen Pennsylvanian, their bloodied bayonets gleaming mercilessly the dim light of the battlefield.

"Lenny..." William whispered. "Charlie..."

North and South Carolina stiffened at the sound of their names, their eyes meeting for the briefest of moments before they turned back to their former brother, their fingers tightening infinitesimally around the butts of their rifles.

"You... You weren't supposed to be here, Penn," Charlie yelled over the sounds of battle, his expression almost troubled by the fact. "You're not a fighter, we didn't think-"

"This is my land, Charles," William observed. "My people. I would think that the two of you would understand." There was a moment of silence as the two southern states stiffened, their jaws setting with determination. Then: "Are you going to kill me, brothers?" William asked quietly.

Lenny balked at the suggestion and shot a frantic, questioning glance at Charlie. South Carolina simply continued to look down at Pennsylvania, his expression unreadable.

"We didn't want you here, Penn," Charlie told him. "We didn't want to have to hurt you like..."

"Like Jed?" William finished grimly. "You would have hurt me whether I was here or not, you know. I can feel it, every battle, every death, it marks me. And you know that, don't you?" The Pennsylvanian gestured towards the growing stain of scarlet that was spreading across the front of his uniform, darkening the navy wool to a sickly reddish-brown. William noticed with tinge of savage triumph that the twins blanched at the sight of his blood.

"You knew that this battle would hurt me," he murmured. "Just like you knew that this entire _war_ would hurt everyone. You simply didn't want to put a face on the suffering that you have caused."

"Be quiet," Charlie growled, his voice weak.

"You should see Father, you know," Pennsylvania continued stubbornly, all of his resentment from the war spilling out of him like blood as he stared up the barrels of their rifles. "His wounds are worse. They bleed everyday, all over his body, especially in Virginia and Maryland. He's hardly ever conscious anymore, and whenever he is he can barely speak, only writhe in agony and try to hold back his screams so that he doesn't scare us."

"I said be quiet!" Charlie snapped, even as the color continued to drain from his cheeks and Lenny uttered a small whimper of pain.

"And Ginny... Did you even know that we have a new sister? She's young, just a little girl, but she's always shivering and crying from the pain. I've never seen her bleed but I've seen her scars. Sometimes Alyssa, Jed, and Addy are up all night just trying to keep her alive."

"_Shut up_!"

William allowed his voice to die and stared up at the shaken twins, his eyes softening behind his glasses when he saw the horror and sorrow... the _age_ in their eyes. Charlie shuddered and reached out automatically to steady his twin brother, his eyes never leaving Pennsylvania's determined, blood-streaked face.

"S-shut up," he whispered. "I-I... J-just s-s-stop talking Penn."

Pennsylvania waited, his shoulders shuddering as another ripple of pain when through his body. He saw South Carolina draw in a deep, unsteady breath and turn away, his calloused fingers tugging viciously at his tangled hair. Lenny simply whimpered again, his trembling hands clenched tightly around his rifle.

Another explosion, the roar of a firing gun. Pennsylvania jumped in shock and pain, his wide eyes traveling down to another stain, another wound, another source of pain. He heard one of the Carolinas gasp, heard a muffled swear uttered in a voice that he could not recognize.

The darkness thickened and he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the world fade into black oblivion. Everything else was fading, though, and he couldn't stop it. The sounds of battle, the feel of the hard earth beneath his crumpled body and the pain burning through him like a wildfire, the sharp, acrid smell of freshly-spilled blood mixed with smoke and burning metal... burning flesh. Everything was fading...

"Penn? If you can... If you can hear me, we're taking you out of here... Please, just hang on..."

"Please..."

"...Please..."

_Please..._

NYPA*NYPA*NYPA

"Where the hell is he?"

New York glared at the Confederate guard in front of him, his flashing blue eyes baring all of the fury, desperation, and _guilt_ that he had been feeling since he had received word of William's disappearance in battle nearly two weeks ago, since he had found the Carolinas' missive waiting for him in his room after another long meeting with Massachusetts, Maryland, and the President to plan battle strategies, since he had nearly rode his favorite horses to death in his rush to reach the border between Virginia and Maryland where Pennsylvania was being held.

The guard, to his credit, managed to stammer out a vague reply that sounded vaguely like "house" and pointed a trembling finger to what could have been a farmhouse in a former life. Albert pushed impatiently past the guard, not even bothering to utter a semi-polite response. He nearly kicked open the door to the house, only to freeze when he caught sight of two red-haired twins standing in the entry hall, their hands clenched tightly into fists at their sides. There was long moment of tense silence as the estranged siblings eyed each other, waiting for someone to blink.

Albert wasn't entirely surprised when he caved first.

"Where is he?" he asked quietly. "Is he alright?"

"I- He's up stairs," Lenny muttered before Charlie could say anything.

"Is he alright?"

"New- Albert, listen-"

"_Is he alright_? So help me, you two, if you don't tell me-"

"He's recovering," Charlie sighed. "He's still weak, of course, and I wouldn't put him on a horse any time soon but he's recovering."

New York frowned. He hadn't thought to bring a carriage...

"We convinced Lizzy to lend us her carriage," Lenny told him quickly. "She said to tell you that if it gets damaged in any way, she'll have your head, no matter what the outcome of this... this damned war is."

Albert nodded automatically, a sharp, jerking motion of his head that didn't seem at all natural. He hesitated for a moment before allowing himself a small, tentative smile. "That sounds like her..."

"Her sister... Our sister," North Carolina said slowly. "The new one... Is she..."

"Ginny is... She's a good girl," New York told them. "And... she is exactly like Lizzy, in every way possible."

The twins exchanged a startled look before they burst out laughing, earning themselves a small, sincere grin from the New Yorker.

"Oh...Oh _God_ that is rich," South Carolina chuckled. "Lizzy... Lizzy will _love_ that."

"_Hate_ it, you mean," North Carolina corrected with a sharp bark of laughter. "Finally, we'll get some revenge for having to deal with her for all of these years."

Albert allowed them to laugh for a little longer, his eyes flickering towards the stairs that rose behind them.

"Let me see him," he said after their laughter had finally died, the desperation and worry returning to his eyes as his smile faded. "Please."

The twins sobered immediately and gave him quiet directions to Pennsylvania's room, opting to remain in the lower levels of the house as the northern state bounded up the stairs. Albert sprinted down the hall, only to skid to a halt in front of the only open doorway in the entire corridor, his lips falling open as he came face-to-face with a pair of wide blue eyes half-hidden behind wire frames.

William took in a deep breath and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, his hands struggling to hold up the sheets that were now pooling around his waist, revealing the bandages that had been wrapped around his slender abdomen. His long, honey-blond hair hung loose around his thin face, slightly shaggier than it had been the last time Albert had seen him. His features were sharper, the shadows beneath his eyes darker, and if the New Yorker looked closely, he could see that there were new scars across his shoulders and half-turned back. The hands that were still gripping his sheets were covered in barely-healed blisters and cuts, and miniscule tremors ran through his body with the effort of sitting straight on the stiff mattress.

"God..." Albert croaked. "Oh my God, Penn... You-"

"Albert, I-"

"William," Albert whispered, effectively cutting off whatever the other state was about to say. The New Yorker walked slowly into the room, his blue eyes locked on the trembling, fragile, incredibly strong state in front of him, his hands moving of their own accord to cup William's face, his thumbs brushing tenderly across the other man's cheeks.

A low gasp broke through William's lips and he glanced up, his eyes widening when a single tear rolled swiftly across Albert's cheek. New York offered the Pennsylvanian a tremulous smile and leaned forward, his forehead resting gently against Pennsylvania's.

"You- I love you," he whispered breathlessly. "I love you, I love you, and I swear to _God_ if you ever do that again or get yourself killed I-"

"A-Albert?" William choked, his muscles shaking furiously as his heart began to hammer in his chest.

Albert flinched away as if he had been slapped, his eyes wide and panicked as his hands moved to clutch William's shoulders.

"I- Are you- D-Damn, I shouldn't have- They said that you were still recovering, but I-"

"A-Albert," William sighed exasperatedly. "For God's sake, will you let me speak?"

New York gulped and nodded, panic still clear in his eyes. Pennsylvania couldn't hold back a small chuckle and reached out to timidly brush a few, rebellious strands of hair out of the New Yorker's eyes.

"Y-You aren't just saying that you love because... I mean, are you serious about what you said?"

Albert nodded and leaned forward again, carefully wrapping his arms around the injured man's trembling shoulders.

"Completely serious," he murmured. He hesitated, his expression uncertain. "I... I told Lincoln not to let you fight."

Pennsylvania blinked and drew away, fury beginning to rise in his wide blue eyes. New York sighed and placed his hand over the other state's mouth before he could say anything.

"It wasn't because I didn't think that you could," he insisted fiercely. "I've seen you in wars, Penn- Will. I've seen the fire in your eyes, no matter how much you tried to hide it and say that you were a pacifist. I knew that you could- _would_ be just as fierce as any of us. I just... I couldn't let you go."

William raised his eyebrows, his mouth still covered by Albert's hand. The New Yorker chuckled and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Pennsylvania's forehead, a large smile spreading across his lips when the other state flushed a spectacular red.

"I missed that blush," he murmured. "Actually, I've missed all of you. You have no idea how awful these past two weeks have been, you know. Not knowing where you were, thinking that you were dead..." His voice broke and he ducked his head, hiding the emotions that were lurking in his eyes. "Do you know, Angel warned me that something like this could happen. He said that I was being incredibly stupid, not telling you how I felt when there was a war going on, when any one of us could be killed*. It scared me, I guess. I thought that by keeping you away from the war, keeping you away from danger, I could keep that from happening. I could give myself all the time that I needed to actually get the courage to simply _tell_ you how I felt and... I drove you away."

"You didn't-" William gasped against Albert's hand, his blush deepening as his breath ghosted across the other state's skin.

New York chuckled and kissed Pennsylvania again, his lips traveling lower to caress one of the shadows beneath William's eyes.

"I could have been with you at Gettysburg," he murmured. "If I had let you do as you wished, actually told you what was going through my mind, you would have let me go with you and I... I could have protected you."

William shrugged, his face still flushed from its brief contact with Albert's lips. "It's alright. We were both... I wasn't completely honest either."

"Huh?" The New Yorker cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowed curiously.

Pennsylvania sighed, his lips curving upwards into a small smile. With a small grunt of exertion, William moved closer to Albert, his own lips brushing against New York's, leaving fire in their wake.

"...Did you think that you were the only lovestruck idiot in the family?" he asked wryly.

New York chuckled and ran his fingers through Pennsylvania's hair. "Well, I suppose it's in our blood, what with Sam and Anthony skirting around each other and Jed pining over his fair Lizzy, not to mention Dad and England- we'll have to fix that someday, you know. They can't keep-"

"Albert," William hissed warningly. "Be quiet."

Albert grinned wickedly and gently tugged on William's hair, pulling the Pennsylvanian towards him.

"You're right," he murmured huskily. "There are much more important things that I could be using these lips for."

Pennsylvania flushed and glanced over the side of the bed towards the worn wooden floor. "Charlie and Lenny-"

"I don't really care."

NYPA*NYPA*NYPA

_June 7, 2012_

Pennsylvania leaned against the marble counter-top that separated his kitchen from the living room adjacent to it, his slim fingers playing idly with the wrapper of a recently-eaten chocolate bar as he watched his boyfriend.

New York was sprawled across the dark leather couch, his brow furrowed over the electric-blue eyes that were usually hidden by a pair of shades. Said eyes were now trained on the screen of the Pennsylvanian's flat-screen television, their expression so sad and troubled that William felt a spark of worry go through him at the sight.

"Albert?" he called quietly, his lips tightening to hold back a short laugh when the New Yorker jumped. "Is something wrong?"

Albert shook his head slowly then paused, his expression still troubled. William sighed heavily and abandoned his post at the counter, his bare feet tapping quietly against the hardwood floor of his farmhouse as he moved to New York's side. He turned his gaze to the television that seemed to have captured the other state's attention, his heart skipping a beat when he saw pictures from the battle of Gettysburg flash across the screen.

"Oh," he murmured.

"...Was it awful?" Albert whispered quietly, his voice hoarse.

William shrugged and carefully spread out on the couch beside the New Yorker, a low sigh of relief breaking through his lips when he felt Albert's tense muscles relax.

"About as awful as any other battle, I suppose," he admitted finally.

"It was the bloodiest..."

"It was a battle."

New York sighed and wrapped his arms around Pennsylvania in a firm grip, his hands rubbing absently against the back of the Pennsylvanian's neck.

"...Did I ever tell you how screwed up I was that first week?" he said finally. "When the officers told me that you had gone missing?"

William shook his head. "Angel told me about it, once. He said that you basically had a meltdown."

Dry, humorless laughter shook Pennsylvania as New York pulled him closer to his chest. "That's an understatement... I couldn't function without you, Penn. I- I couldn't live if you weren't with me. I considered ending it right there and then, to be honest."

William stiffened and started to pull away, only to be yanked back into place against the larger state.

"Don't worry," Albert huffed. "It was only for a second. I knew that you would have skinned me alive if I ever did anything that dumb."

"Damn right..." William muttered mutinously.

The New Yorker chuckled and bent to press a light kiss onto the top of Pennsylvania's honey hair, only to gasp when the other state lifted his head to capture the kiss with his own lips, his fingers playing with the hem of New York's t-shirt.

"...Do you want to move to another room?" Albert asked thickly, his eyes clouding as William bent to lick teasingly across the top of his collarbone.

Pennsylvania grimaced and shot a distasteful look towards the stairs. "What, and have the Carolinas catch everything on some hidden camera again? No thanks. Although, I would really appreciate it if you would turn off this documentary."

New York nodded obediently and reached out for the remote, his muscles locking into place when a picture of yet another body flashed across the screen.

Pennsylvania sighed and reached forward to press the off button himself, his deep blue eyes soft.

"It's over, Bertie," he murmured. "It's okay."

Albert nodded and tightened his grip around the slimmer man, fire already spreading through his veins as he bent to kiss his boyfriend's exposed neck.

"I love you," he whispered against William's flushed skin.

"I know."

**Okay, so that took way longer than I had expected it to... And it was a bit more serious than I'm used to with the states, but there you go. Let me know what you think, okay?**

**Also, a few notes:**

***1: _Poor Richard's Almanac_ was written by Ben Franklin- a Pennsylvanian, btw- for farmers so that they could keep track of the weather and the seasons. It also included tons of little sayings like "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." and all that jazz. There was also a ship called the _Poor Richard_, but that has nothing to do with this story whatsoever so~**

***2: The Whiskey Rebellion took place in western Pennsylvania during George Washington's presidency. It was the result of a tax on whiskey set in place by Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Obviously, lots of brewers and farmers- who grew the grain that whiskey was made out of and were dependent on the profits- were really ticked off and started a rebellion, which Washington crushed by bringing in federal troops. The leaders of the rebellion were convicted of treason, but later pardoned as a show of mercy.**

***3: I my head cannon, nations can't be killed permanently, but states and cities can (yes, this does tie into my mpreg fic since all of the kids in that are either territories or cities). Cities and states are immortal, yes, but not invulnerable.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this and I'm so sorry for taking so long! Please review and tell me what you think! And if you have a specific state that you want to see, let me know, m'kay?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Okay, so, I know that I've kind of been neglecting this story for a while... But! I decided that I needed to put something up here for Veteran's Day and... Well, simply put, the plot bunny attacked me. So, here we go. Let me know what you guys think, and please be patient with me. Thank you! And thank you especially to any veterans or any relatives of veterans. Remember: All of us have the ability to serve our country, no matter what country it is. We might not all be soldiers, and we might not all be politicians, but we all have gifts. All we need to do, is figure out how to use them.**

**Hearts of War**

_November 11, 2012_

Jedediah Jones (Maryland) glared sullenly at the screen of is laptop, his fingers drumming anxiously against the smooth wood of his dinning room table. His gaze flickered for a brief moment to the clock that had been mounted on the wall across from him, a small curse breaking through his lips when he caught sight of the time.

11:32.

"C'mon, Liz," he grumbled, not even bothering to hide the anxiety in his voice. _She's never been late before..._

_Lizabeth Jones- Offline_.

"Dammit..." Maryland pushed away from the table and ran a calloused hand through his tangled light-brown hair. He turned away from the computer screen, allowing his eyes to wander towards the tiny photograph that was clutched between his shaking fingers.

Lizabeth Jones (Virginia) stared back at him, her pink lips curved into a rare, shy smile. Her long red hair had been tucked into her helmet, and her bright green eyes seemed to glow against the light gray fabric of her uniform. If he looked closely, Jed could just make out Lenny (North Carolina) and Charlie (South Carolina) in the back ground, their features twisted into identical smirks as they flashed peace signs to the camera.

Maryland remembered when the day he had taken the picture. It had been one of his last days in Afghanistan before he had been called back to his home, before he had been forced to leave Virginia and the Carolinas behind as they completed their tours of duty...

Jed cursed again and glanced back at the computer screen, hoping desperately that something had changed.

_Lizabeth Jones- Offline_

"_Dammit_!" he hissed. "Why the hell isn't she online?" _She's always online, she's never been late..._

_ What if..._

No. He would have known if something had happened to any of them. America would have known, the other states would have been called, there would have been a meeting...

Something would have happened.

"Jed?"

Maryland jumped and whirled around, his lips curving into an automatic smile when he caught sight of the short girl that was now leaning against his kitchen door, her blue-green eyes unreadable beneath her thick chestnut hair.

"Ginny," he sighed. "What are you doing here?"

Gillian "Ginny" Jones (West Virginia) shrugged and glanced at Maryland's computer screen, her lips thinning at the sight of the Skype page.

"...I figured you wouldn't want to be alone today," she admitted quietly.

Jed raised his eyebrows. "We're meeting the others at Dad's house in two hours, you know," he pointed out. "I'm not going to be alone all day."

"You're alone now," West Virginia snapped. Ginny bit her lip and glanced away, her eyes misting slightly when they locked on the picture that was still clutched in Jed's large, tanned hands.

Maryland sighed and reached out to wrap his arm around the younger girl in a loose embrace, a small, sad smile flickering across his features when Ginny buried her face in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I forgot... Has he called you yet?"

Ginny shook her head stiffly, her small shoulders shuddering for the briefest of moments at the mention of her boyfriend.

"It's been months," she whispered shakily. "Damn him... He promised he'd call."

"He might not have time," Jed pointed out gently.

"Liz has time to write to you," Ginny growled.

"Liz isn't Lenny," Maryland shot back. "Trust me, when you get the twins out on the front lines, they'll keep charging into the fight until someone drags them back kicking and screaming." Jed chuckled suddenly, remembering the multiple heart-attacks that the Carolina brothers had given him over the years.

Ginny grumbled something under her breath and pulled away, her small hands clenched into fists at her sides. Jed laughed again and reached out to ruffle her hair, his eyes glinting wickedly in response to the glare that she sent his way. West Virginia smiled slightly, almost reluctantly, and gently punched Maryland in the shoulder. Her smile faded when he glanced back at the computer screen.

"...I miss her, too," she admitted quietly. "And if you tell Liz I said that, I swear to God I'll kick your ass."

"She misses you, too," Jed murmured. "And if _you_ tell Liz I said that, I'll ban you from fishing in the Chesapeake."

Ginny winced and opened her mouth to protest, only to have the words die in her throat when she caught sight of the small window that had appeared on screen.

_Lizabeth Jones is calling_.

Jed rushed to the computer and hastily accepted the call, barely even noticing Ginny's sudden exodus into his kitchen. He locked his light blue eyes on the computer screen, a low sigh of relief breaking through his lips when Virginia's image appeared.

"Liz," he breathed, his features breaking into a wide smile. "Hey."

Virginia smiled softly in return. Her bright red hair had been released from its restricting bun for the moment, allowing strands of copper hair to spill across the slim black headset that allowed her to hear the other state. She raised one of her hands in a small wave, her calloused fingers brushing for the briefest of moments against the screen.

"Hey," she called. "Sorry I'm late. The Colonel had a meeting with some locals, and he asked me to be there as part of the escort."

"Smart man," Jed murmured approvingly. He took a shaky breath and forced the smile to remain on his features. "How're you holding up?"

Liz shrugged slightly, her green eyes suddenly sharp. "I'm alright... Doesn't look like you are."

Maryland winced. "You caught me."

"It's only one more month, Jed," Virginia pointed out, the barest hint of tenderness slipping into her voice. "I'll be home for Christmas, remember?"

Jed sighed heavily and rested his head against his fist. "I know," he muttered. "...I wish I was still there with you. Thanksgiving is going to be hell without you here."

Liz shook her head slightly, a shaky smile making its way onto her lips. "It'll be alright... Gives you an excuse to spend more time with Ginny and Angel (New Jersey). Weren't you complaining two weeks ago that you hardly ever see each other anymore?"

Maryland chuckled. "Yeah, about that... Guess who's hiding in my kitchen?"

"...Do I want to know the answer to that question?"

"Relax, it's just Ginny."

Virginia's eyes tightened at the mention of her sister, although her smile seemed to grow. "How is she?"

"Well, I can't tell you that she misses you without getting my ass kicked, apparently," Jed mused with a smirk. "...She misses Lenny."

Liz's expression shifted for a brief moment, her bright green eyes flashing with unmistakeable mischief.

"Really?" she murmured.

"What are you-"

"You still leave the front door unlocked, don't you?" Virginia asked, completely ignoring Maryland's confusion.

"Yes, but-"

Jed felt the words die in his throat when he heard his door open, his head whipping around just in time to catch a glimpse of cropped red hair. North Carolina paused and winked mischievously at Maryland, his green-blue eyes darkening nervously as the kitchen door flew open.

West Virginia stood frozen in the kitchen doorway, her eyes widening in shock and awe. After a moment, North Carolina raised his hand in a cautious wave, his tanned skin flushed above the fabric of his uniform.

"Hey, Gi-"

"You fucking _asshole!_" Ginny shrieked. West Virginia flew across the room into Lenny's arms, her small fists pounding against his lithe chest.

Lenny laughed shakily and tightened his grip around the smaller girl, his expression softening as he lowered his lips to her forehead.

Maryland chuckled despite himself and glanced back at his computer screen. Virginia smirked back at him, not quite able to hide the tears that had begun to appear in her bright green eyes. Jed's smile faded, his brow furrowing in worry.

"So, wait, are you alone out there?" he demanded.

Liz shook her head. "No, Charlie's still here, and David (Texas) is supposed to come in with his men next week. I'm fine, Jed," she added hurriedly as Maryland opened his mouth to comment.

"I'm not," Maryland shot back.

Virginia sighed and flashed him a weary smile. "Idiot. It's only a month..."

"A month," Jed repeated darkly.

Liz stiffened in response to a muffled voice in the background, her expression crumpling for the briefest of moments into a watery smile.

"Looks like I need to head out," she whispered. "Same time next week? I promise I won't be late..."

Jed forced himself to return her smile and reached out to brush his fingers against the screen, wishing that he could actually touch her soft red locks.

"I'll be waiting," he promised. "I love you, Liz."

"...I love you, too," Virginia sighed.

"Stay safe over there, you hear me?"

"I will, I promise... Bye, Jed."

"See you later, darling."

Maryland waited until the call window disappeared before he shut down his computer, his shoulders slumping for several seconds before he rose stiffly to his feet. He turned towards the two states that were still locked in a tight embrace in the doorway of his kitchen, a small smirk rising to his lips.

"Get a room, you two," he called. "Preferably not in my house."

_December 12, 2012_

Maryland shifted anxiously in the airport terminal, his eyes locked anxiously on the mob of gray camouflage that had begun to spill into the already-crowded hallway. West Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington D.C. waited beside him, not even bothering to hide their own impatience as the crowd of returning soldiers drew closer.

A flash of red appeared in the crowd and suddenly Virginia was standing in front of the group, her features an equal mix of exhaustion and joy. Maryland laughed aloud and pulled her into a crushing embrace, his nose pressed against her hair as he breathed her in. Liz shuddered and returned his embrace, her lips pressing against his collar bone before they moved up to his lips.

"Hey," she gasped against his mouth.

"Hey," Jed chuckled, his lips pressing against hers once again before he pulled away, his arms tightening around her as the contact between their mouths disappeared. "Welcome back."

Virginia smiled and buried her face in his chest once again, only to pull back with raised eyebrows when she caught sight of the photograph that was peeking out of the pocket of Maryland's jeans.

"Did you carry that around all month?" she whispered, not quite sure if she was joking or not.

Jed shook his head slowly, his eyes glittering with something deeper than amusement. "I've had it on me since I came home."

Liz glanced back at the photograph, a strange smile flickering across her tanned features. Without a word, she reached into her own pocket and drew out a faded black-and-white photograph, her smile widening when Jed's mouth fell open into a perfect "O".

"Is that-?"

"Yeah."

Maryland slowly shook his head and reached out to take the picture from her hands, his fingers brushing against the image of the World War II uniform that he had worn so many years ago before they moved on to Virginia's own image. He smiled suddenly and pulled Liz into another embrace, his lips descending on hers before she could say a word.

Virginia chuckled quietly before returning the kiss, choosing to ignore the wry chuckles from their siblings and the sly click from a digital camera that was quickly hidden behind North Carolina's back.

She was going to have to find that camera later...

**Okay, so just a little bit of an explanation here. See, in my headcanon, all of the states that look old enough have served in basically every war (except for the Revolutionary War) in some way. The only ones who look too young to serve (that I know of) are Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, West Virginia (she only looks about 15, so..), Hawaii (14), Delaware (probably around 17), and Vermont (about 16).**

**Thanks again to everyone who has served or is serving our country. We owe everything to you.**


End file.
